NAME and address supplied (Letters, January 12) wished to know why the British regard December 27 and 28 and January 3 worthy of being a public holidays.
As I am sure the questioner realises, these were in place of December 25 and December 26 and January 1 which, over the 2004/5 Christmas and New Year period, fell on weekend days.
During the 19th Century when Christmas day fell on a Sunday an additional bank holiday was declared in order that workers could have an extra day's holiday in lieu of the Sunday. When Christmas Day fell on a Saturday no additional day was declared until 1976 when Tuesday, December 28 was declared in lieu.
Mr A Slaney
Lee
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